LEGAL STRUCTURES

As a farmer or forester, you can carry on your trade without any thought to legal structures, such as co-operatives, community interest companies, charitable incorporated organisations, and limited companies. Many will be sole traders, and that may well suit your needs. It’s not the intention here to walk you through legal structures in detail but rather point you to resources in case you want to learn more about:
 * The differences between an incorporated (e.g. co-op) and unincorporated (e.g. sole trader) business.
 * The different legal structures that you can choose from if you wish to incorporate, such as a limited company, community benefit society, workers’ cooperative, charity, etc.

Understanding Incorporation
Although the publication Simply Legal from Coops UK is written for co-operatives, Section 3 explains what incorporation is, looks at the advantages and disadvantages of incorporating, and considers when incorporation may be appropriate: https://www.uk.coop/resources/simply-legal

Legal Structures
Co-ops UK, the CSA Network, the National Council of Voluntary Organisations, the Plunkett Foundation and the Transition Network have all produced guides on legal structures. They’re all aimed at slightly different audiences, as follows:
 * A Brief Guide to Legal Structures from the Plunkett Foundation is aimed at cooperative and community businesses.
 * Introduction to Legal Forms from NCVO is principally aimed at voluntary organisations.
 * Legal Structures from the CSA Network is principally aimed at CSA schemes.
 * Organisational Types and Structures from the Transition Network is aimed at any project or business.
 * Simply Legal, from Coops UK is principally aimed at cooperatives, including community benefit societies.

Additional Resources
Charlie Cattell provides training and advice to organisations who want to incorporate, as well as free information sheets: https://www.charliecattell.net/legal-structures

As well as their Simply Legal guide to legal structures, Coops UK also have a guide to governance for community and cooperative businesses: https://www.uk.coop/resources/simply-governance